Erythro-myeloid progenitors contribute endothelial cells to blood vessels. (11th October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Plein, Alice; Fantin, Alessandro; Denti, Laura; Pollard, Jeffrey; Ruhrberg, Christiana
• Is Part Of: Nature. Volume 562:Number 7726(2018)
• Page Start: 223
• Page End: 228
• Publication Date: 2018-10-11
• Subjects: Science -- Periodicals; 505
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0552-x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-0836

Abstract

Abstract The earliest blood vessels in mammalian embryos are formed when endothelial cells differentiate from angioblasts and coalesce into tubular networks. Thereafter, the endothelium is thought to expand solely by proliferation of pre-existing endothelial cells. Here we show that a complementary source of endothelial cells is recruited into pre-existing vasculature after differentiation from the earliest precursors of erythrocytes, megakaryocytes and macrophages, the erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs) that are born in the yolk sac. A first wave of EMPs contributes endothelial cells to the yolk sac endothelium, and a second wave of EMPs colonizes the embryo and contributes endothelial cells to intraembryonic endothelium in multiple organs, where they persist into adulthood. By demonstrating that EMPs constitute a hitherto unrecognized source of endothelial cells, we reveal that embryonic blood vascular endothelium expands in a dual mechanism that involves both the proliferation of pre-existing endothelial cells and the incorporation of endothelial cells derived from haematopoietic precursors. New blood vessel endothelial cells arise from differentiation of erythro-myeloid progenitor cells to complement the proliferation of pre-existing endothelial cells.